The next morning, Alice woke up with a heavy feeling in her chest. Sleep had evaded her the entire night as the memories of the previous evening replayed vividly in her mind—the shimmering barrier, the ominous gate, the frozen woman with rainbow hair, and the overwhelming energy that surged through her when she touched it. It didn't feel like a dream. It felt real, too real.
As she sat on the edge of her bed, staring blankly at the floor, Aliyah burst into the room, her face pale with worry.
"You're up," Aliyah said, closing the door quickly behind her.
Alice turned to her, her voice flat. "Did you sleep?"
"Not really. I was too busy freaking out about what we just stumbled on," Aliyah replied, pacing back and forth. "Alice, you touched the gate. You broke the barrier. Do you have any idea what that means?"
Alice frowned. "No, because no one's telling me anything."
Aliyah stopped pacing and turned to her, her voice low and serious. "Fine. Let me explain." She sat on the bed across from Alice and leaned forward. "The Gate of Baal is more than just some random doorway. It's a seal. A prison. A thousand years ago, a demon named Kael opened it with the blood of a mermaid—"
Alice stiffened. "Why a mermaid?"
Aliyah shrugged, fidgeting with her hands. "Their blood is… special. It's tied to magic in ways that other creatures' aren't. My mother told me that mermaid blood has the power to open portals to forbidden realms, which is why their kind was hunted and wiped out after what Kael did."
Alice's head spun. "Wiped out? You're saying there are no mermaids left?"
"That's what my mother believes," Aliyah said. "But there are rumors—whispers about one surviving mermaid who escaped. No one's ever been able to prove it, though."
Alice scoffed, trying to push away the growing unease in her chest. "Okay, so what does any of this have to do with me?"
Aliyah gave her a long, pointed look. "Alice… the barrier around that gate was ancient magic. Something only those connected to it could break. The fact that you touched it and it shattered—"
"It was probably a fluke," Alice interrupted, standing up and pacing. "Maybe I got lucky. I'm not a mermaid, Aliyah. My grandma's a witch. I'm a witch. That's it."
Aliyah stood up, crossing her arms. "You don't even believe that yourself, do you?"
Alice froze, her mind racing. She wanted to argue, to deny it, but the truth was, she didn't know what to believe anymore.
Aliyah sighed. "Look, I'm not saying you're a mermaid, okay? But you're something, Alice. And whatever it is, it's powerful enough to wake up a thousand-year-old seal."
That afternoon, Alice found herself wandering the school grounds again, her mind still clouded with questions. She avoided Michael, who seemed too preoccupied with his duties as a dragon prince, and ignored the whispers of other students who still hadn't stopped talking about her confrontations with the Amazons.
Her feet carried her back to the edge of the school grounds, where the shimmering barrier had been the day before. To her surprise, it had reformed, glowing faintly in the sunlight.
"Curious little thing, aren't you?"
Alice jumped, spinning around to find Demian leaning against a nearby tree, his arms crossed and his piercing eyes fixed on her.
"What do you want?" Alice snapped, crossing her arms defensively.
Demian raised an eyebrow. "I could ask you the same thing. Wandering around forbidden areas of the school? Breaking ancient barriers? You're starting to make me think you're more trouble than you're worth."
Alice's jaw clenched. "I'm not afraid of you, Demian."
He smirked, stepping closer. "You should be."
Before she could retort, a sudden pulse of energy emanated from the barrier, causing both of them to turn toward it. The air grew heavy, and the runes on the barrier glowed brighter.
"What the hell is that?" Demian muttered, his usual smug demeanor replaced with unease.
Alice didn't answer. Instead, she reached out, her hand brushing against the shimmering surface. This time, the barrier didn't break, but the symbols flared brightly, and a voice—faint and ethereal—whispered in her mind.
"Alice…"
She yanked her hand back, her heart pounding.
Demian stepped closer, his eyes narrowing. "What did you just do?"
"Nothing," Alice lied, turning to leave. "This place is creepy. Let's go."
Demian grabbed her arm, forcing her to face him. "You're hiding something."
"Let go of me," Alice said coldly, her eyes blazing.
For a moment, they stared at each other, the tension thick between them. Then Demian released her, his expression unreadable. "You'd better watch yourself, Alice. This school isn't as safe as you think."
Later that evening, Alice sat in her dorm room with Aliyah, recounting her encounter with the barrier and Demian.
"So the barrier came back?" Aliyah asked, frowning.
"Yeah. And when I touched it, I heard a voice," Alice admitted. "It said my name."
Aliyah paled. "That's not good."
"No kidding," Alice muttered. "What do we do now?"
Aliyah hesitated. "We lay low. Whatever's going on with that gate, it's not something we can mess with. And as for Demian… try not to let him get under your skin."
Alice sighed, leaning back in her chair. "Easier said than done."
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